Automatic take-up for journal-boxes.



J. T, HAY. AUTQMATLG TAKE-UP FOR JOURNAL BOXES. APPLICATION FILED 001.16, 1911. 1,058,862, Patented Apr. 15, 1,913

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J. T. HAY. AUTOMATIC TAKE-UP-FOB. JOURNAL BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 16, 1911.

1,058,862. .Patlited Apr. 15, 1913.

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JOHN T. HAY, OF DARKE COUNTY, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC TAKE-UP FOB, JOURNAL-BOXES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

Application filed October 16, 1911. Serial No. 655,018.

To all whom it may concern j Be it known that I, JOHN T. :HAY, a citizenof the United States, residing in the county of Darke and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Take-Upsfor J ournal- Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide automatic means for soadjusting the boxes of a journal toward a shaft or pin revolubly mountedtherein, as to take up all Wear and objectionable looseness samedevelops, and to provide automatic means for separating the boxes of ajournal when its shaft or pin becomes expanded and tight by overheating.

It is well known that the amount of appreciable wear on differentjournal boxes varies for the same amount of use, whereby one box of apair will wear faster than its mate and the object of my invention is toprovide an automatic regulation between the parts of my adjustingmechanism which will compensate for and equalize the differences in wearbetween the boxes of a journal.

Amfurther object of my invention is to connect the stirrups at each endof a con.- neeting-rod together whereby the journalboxes at both endswill all be adjusted from one end ofthe rod, the automatic adjustment ofthe journal-boxes at one end adjustingthe boxes at the other end of therod, and whereby my device will automatically adjust itself to theunequal wear of any journal box at either or both of said ends.

I accomplish the above objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accomnmying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a View in side elevation of aconnecting-rod embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view on a largerscale of one end of the same rod which illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa view similar to Fig. 1, of a modified construction, and Fig. 1, is aview on a larger scale of the modified form shown in Fig.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviewsot the drawings.

3 is a connccting-rod having stirrups 4 at each end which pass aroundtwo-part journal-boxes 5 and 6 to support said boxes and hold them inoperative position at their respective ends of the rod. The stems of thestirrups l, instead of being bolted in the usual way to the enlargedends 2 of the rods,

slide loosely in suitable channels of said enlargements and are extendeduntil the stems 'of the opposing stirrups meet and lap each other, andthey are then rigidly secured together by means of the bolts 7. The twostirrups might have their stems integrally united instead of being inseparate lapped pieces bolted together as shown. As the two stirrups arethus connected and are free to slide longitudinally, the longitudinalmove ment of one will correspondingly move the other. Consequently, whenthe journalboxcs at the ends of theconnecting-rod become loose by wear,the tightening of a set at one end will exert a: pressure against thestirrup at that end to move it, and the movement will be transmitted tothe other stirrup so moving it as to tighten its boxes. AS each of thefourboxes thus to be kept tight may .wear at a different rate from theothers a device to keep them tight must be capable of a variable speed,some parts of the mechanism acting faster than other parts in order tokeep up with the rate of. wear which it more directly controls and thedevice must be capable of equalizing and this unequal action.

I have shown as my invention such an automatic mechanism and have shownit as applied to the journals of a connecting rod, for which it is welladapted, but it is also applicable to all journals having one or moremovable box members and I therefore do not desire to be limited in theapplication of my device, but wish it to be understood that I here showand describe it as applied to a coimecting rod, for purposes ofillustration only.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly the Fig. 2, t is a pin orshaft mounted in a bearing (".OlllPl'lHlllQ' the two brasscs or boxhalves El and 10. The outer end of the outer box member 10 is oblique tothe longitudinal dimensions of the connecting-rod, as shown. andoperating in conjunction therewith is a tapering key 11., Liners :u maybe inserted at the ends of the boxes, in the usual manner, as shown, tofill out excess space.

Secured by pivot 18 to the lower stem of the stirrup 4 is a lever A,havin an ex tension 15 which bears against. tie shaft 8, and pivoted at33 to the lower strap of stirrup t is lever havlngan. extension 36 whichbears against the shaft 8 at a point diametrically opposite the saidbearing 15 from lever A. The two levers A and distributing B areconnected by a rod 38, which is pivoted at one end/to the lever A andhas its opposite end extended through. a suitable openingin the lever B.Th s last end of the rod 38 is sores-threaded tokreceive a nut 39 bywhich the approach of levers A and B toward each other may be regulatedand the journals allowed to run loose or tight to suit the requirementsof different journals, but never so tight as to leave no oil spacebetween the shaft and the journal members; and on the outer end of therod 38 is a nut 40. Between the nut 40 and lever B is a spirally wound.spring 42 which, acting t rough the rod 38, draws the levers A and Btoward each other and keeps their. extensions 15 and 3G in contact withthe shaft 8.

Pivotally mounted-on the upper end of the lever B is a bent lever Chaving its outer arm provided with a longitudinal slot d to receive apin D from the tapering key 11. The inner and downwardly bent end of thelever. C has a longitudinal slot 0 to receive a transverse pin E.Standards F secured to the upper stem of stirrup 4 has vertical slots 7through which the pin E also passes, and the pro ecting ends of the pinare provided with enlargements or heads, as shown in Fig. 2, to preventthe longitudinal withdrawal of the pin from said slots; An upwardmovement of the pin E in slots f and a will transmit any pressure andmovement from the pin E to lever C near to the fulcrum of said leverthereby shortening the bent arm oflever C and correspondingly increasingthe travel of the outer arm of said lever. The attached key 11 will beraised with a correspondingly greater speed. When the in E is lowered insaid slots f and c the ent arm of lever C will be correspondinglylengthened causing the outer arm to move a less distance. The raisingand lowering of pin E in the slots f and 0 is accomplished by thelongitudinal movement of a bar G having a bent end in which is anoblique slot 9 through which the in E also passes in the manner shown inig. 2. The bent end of the bar G rests upon the base of standard F andis slotted to loosely receive a bolt e which will hold the end of thebardown and at the same timeallow it to slide past bolt-e. The bolt e andother rubbing parts associated with bar G are kept suiiiciently tight toprevent movement of the bar G in the direction of the arrow by inertia.

The bar G rests upon a table it having sides It extending down andsecured to the upper stem (if the stirrup 4. The sides h are extendedupwardly to form ears H between which a cam I is mounted to bear againstthe bar G. Mounted at the top of lever A is a cam J which also bearsagainst the to of the bar G. Both cams I and J are a apted to permit thebar G to move of said bar in the opposite direction. The cam I has anarm extension 6 and the cam J has a like arm extension j, both armsbeing on adjacent sides of their cams, and the two arms are joinedtogether by means of a coiled spring K, the tension of which, actingthrou h said arms, holds the two cams I' and in contact with the bar G.The construction however will permit the oscillatory movement of lever Aaway from lever B without taking the bar G with it and it will also benoted that the action 0 cam I at such times will positively prevent'the' movementof bar G with the lever A.

But upon the return movement of l'everA the cam J will lock the bar G tothe lever A causing said bar to move with lever A toward pin E and itwill then be notedthat the action of cam I will permit this move ment ofthe bar G toward the pin E. It will thus be seen that the bar G iscapable of adjustment longitudinally toward the pin E but cannot bemoved in the opposite direction.

Slidingly mounted upon the 11 per stem of'stirrup 4 below the table Itis a bar L. A cam -M is mounted on the table 7:. and bears against thebar L in a manner to lock the bar against movement toward the pin E butpermitting it to move in the opposite direction. The cam M has an arm mto which a spring m is connected at one end, the other end of the springbeing made fast to the upper stem of stirrup 4 as shown in Fig. 1. Thebar L has a vertical slot through it, through which the lGVQILA passes,the slot being of sufficient length tofpermit'a limited oscillatorymovement of lever A, and mounted in a suitable socket in the bar L andentering the slot and bearing against the lever A is a sprin Not lessstrength than the spring 42 on the rod 38. The tension of the spring -Nwill be regulated by a set-screw n.

As the shaft 8 will generally be of soft iron or steel which will wearreadily, I prefer to shrink a collar 44 of hardened steel around it forthe extensions 15 and 36 to bear against.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Assumin that the journals 5and 6 at both ends of t e connecting rod have been made tight againsttheir respective shafts or pins by the introduction of liners m, ifnecessary, and that a hearing at either end 5 or 6 of the connecting rodhas since become loose by wear, which, because of the stirru connectionsloosens the journals at both en 9 of the rod; then,-by the alternatepush and pull of the connecting rod against the shafts at eachrevolution of the crank, the levers A and B tied together by thespring-tightened rod 38 will oscillate, and the bar G, by the action ofcams Land J will be moved toward .the pin E, raising the latter. Thistoward pin E and to prevent the movement has a tendency to swing thelever G around I the pivot c to lower the outer arm of the lever andlower the wedge 11. But this is immediately overcome by the swing oflever B toward shaft 8, towardwhich 1t is also drawn by spring 42 on rod38, and at this inward movement of the lever B the pin E becomes thepivot around which the lever G swings, and the resulting upper swing ofthe latter raises and tightens the wedge 11. The above oscillations ofthe levers A, B and C, will only continue until the pin E has reached apoint where it will raise the key 11 fast enough to take up all wear.When this occurs the levers A, B and C cease oscillating but will moveonly in the required direction to raise the key 11 sufficiently to takeup the wear. The proper movement of the key is determined automaticallyas above described by raising the pin E but when the right position ofpin E s thus once found, the operation of levers A, B, and C willcontinue to raise key 11 as long as the relative rate of wear on theseveral boxes remains unchanged. Should this again vary, the oscillatorymovement of said levers and corresponding movement of bar G to raise pinE will again occur. The oscillater-y movement of levers A, B, and C isoccasioned. by a wear on the journal boxes at a faster rate than the key1.1 is moved to take it up. The tightness of the boxes will be regulatedby the tension of spring 42, as regulated by nuts 39 and -10.

Should the journals become too tight, as by the over heating of theirshafts, the lever B will be moved outwardly by the expansion of theshaft, thereby lowering the wedge 11 and loosening the boxes. By thecooling of the shaft and its resulting shrinkage, thelevcr B will swingback by the action of spring 42, and the wedge 11 will be raised and theionrnal tightened and a normal condition retained until the journalsbecome heated again.

The bar 'L can only move toward the cam M which movement will occur bythe pressure against it. of the lever A which will keep the spring Xtight against said lever and prevent the rattling of the parts of mydevice and also keep the levers A and B from swinging on their pivotstoward the wedge 11 by the wearing'away of the journal -members, therebylowering and loosening the wedge 11 instead of causing the levers to os'illafe by the action of spring N against the lever A together with thelateral movement of the shaft. This oscillatory movement projects thebar G to raise the pivotal point E to tighten the wedge by the action ofthe lever C. When. by wear of the journal boxes the bar L has reachcdthelimit of its longitudinal movements it will be set back by manuallyreleasing it from its cams, and additional liners a will be added totighten the boxes.

In the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4 between the oblique end ofthe outer boxes and the adjacent end of strap 4 is a tapering block 11through which passes a threaded bolt 12 having its ends secured in strap4 as shown. The block 11 will be held at any given position by the bolt12. Attached to enlargement 2 of the connecting rod by pivot 13 is alever 14 having a lateral extension 15 which bears against the shaft 8.The other end of lever 14 is secured by pivot 16 to a lever 17. Tlfelever 17 oscillates about a pivot 18 adjacent to the pivot 16, and itsopposite end 's attached to a pivot 19 mounted eccentrical y of a wheel20. The-wheel 20 is mounted in a suit-ably enlarged end of the bar 21,and the bar 21 is slidably mounted upon the stem of the stirrup 1, asshown, and terminates opposite the wheel 20 with a rack 22. The teeth ofthe rack 22 engage with the teeth of a pinion 23 as mounted on the endof screw-bolt 12. The rack 22 will preferably be separated from theremainder of the bar, to which it is secured by bolt extension 21,passing longitudinally through the rack and retained between pair ofnuts 25. This provides an adjustment for the several parts in assemblingthem. The bar 21. is slotted longitudinally for the passage of the bolt26 which boltis surrounded by spring 27 held by a nut 28, all for thepurpose of holding the bar against the stem 4.. Secured by the pivot 29to the upper stem of stirrup 4 is a lever 30, the lower end of which ispivoially secured at 31 to a lever 32. The lever 32 is pivoted at 33 tothe lower strap of stirrup t, and its upper end is connected by alink-bar with an arm extension 34 from the wheel 20. The lever 32 has anextension 36 which bears against the shaft. 8. The two levers 17 and areconnected by rod 38, pivoted to lever 17 and passed loosely through asuitable perforation in lever 32. This inserted end is screw-threaded toreceive an inner nut 39 by which the approach toward each other of thelevers 17 and 32 may be regulated, and the journals allowed to run looseor tight, and it has an outer nut 40. Between the nut 40 and the lever32 is a spirally wound spring 42, which, acting through the rod 38,draws the levers 17 and 32 toward each other and keeps extension 15 ofconnected lever 14, and extension 36 of lever 30 in constant contactwith the shaft 8. The operation of this modified form of my device is asfollows: Any variation in the journal boxes or shaft-'8 due to wear orexpansion will be transmitted on one side through. the extension 15thereby swinging the lever 14 about its pivot 13. This movement ismultiplied by thev connection through pivot 16 of the lever 14 with thelever 17 so that the upper end of the lever 17 will be moved anappreciable distance by the slight movement of the extenin constantcontact with shaft 8.

pension of shaft 8 due to overheating, cans-h other end to rotate thecogged wheel 23,

thereby rotating the shaft 12 and moving the wedge-block 11 along theoblique face of the box 10. This wedge-action of the block 11 againstbox 10 will crowd the latter toward shaft 8 taking up any looseness inthe hearing. The action of spring 42 through its associated connectionsholds the extensjilon ing the shaft to run tight in its journal will actthrough the similar levers at the right of shaft 8 to loosen thebearing. This expansion of shaft 8 acts through extension 36 of lever tooscillate the latter, and by the connection of lever 30 with lever 32,the lever 32 will be oscillated to a multiplied degree and the movementof its upper end will be transmitted through link-bar and arm 34 to theWheel 20 causing the eccentric pin 19 of said'wheel, to which lever 17is pivoted, to move the wheel 20 in a manner to impart a longitudinalmovement to the bar 21 in a reverse direction from that previouslydescribed, whereby through rack 22 and pinion 23 the screw-bolt 12 willbe rotated in a direction to lower the wedge block 11 and release thebox 10. This loosens the journal of shaft 8 relieving the tightnesswhich was due to the expansion of said shaft. The spring 42 actingthrough the various associated parts, previously described, maintainsboth extensions 15 and 36 in constant contact with the shaft 8, not onlyduring the expansion but also during the contraction of said shaft, andnot only will the wedge be lowered to loosen the journals, as abovedescribed, but it will be raised by a reverse action of the partsinfluenced by spring 42 in a manner which will be readily apparent andwhich therefore need not be described in detail.

The means for moving wedge 11, actuated by the variations in diameter ofshaft 8 under different temperatures to tighten or loosen the journals 9and 10 with relation to shaft 8, may be varied from that shown in thedrawings without departing from the spirit of my invention, and Itherefore do not desire to be limited to the particular mechanism whichI have here shown and described, and i What I do claim as new and wishto secure by. Letters Patent of the United States,.is

1. In a journal for rotary shafts, a plurality of box-members one ofwhich is movable, a holder in which the box-members are mounted, a wedgein the holder to tighten the members, means for automaticall regulatingthe maximum ap roach of t e box members towardthe sha means forautomatically moving the wedge at any variation from said regulatedapproach of the boxmembers toward their shaft to maintain a uniformtightness of journal, and means to prevent movement of the wedge in adirection to loosen it.

2. In a journal for rotary shafts, a plurality of box members one ofwhich is movable and has an oblique end, a holder in which the boxmembers are mounted, a wedge in the holder contacting with the obliquebox member to hold the members from spreading apart, and means operatedby the expansion and contraction of the shaft for moving the wedge toequalize the pressure of the members against the shaft.

3. In a journal for rotary shafts, a plurality of box members one ofwhich is movable and has an oblique end, a, holder in which the boxmembers are mounted, a wedge in the holder contacting with the obli usend of the box member to hold the Inem ers from separating, meanscontacting with the shaft to move the wedge by the expension andcontraction of the shaft and elastic means for maintaining said contact.

4:. In a journal for rotary shafts, a plurality of box members one ofwhich is movable and has an oblique end, a holder in which the boxmembers are mounted, a wedge in the holder' contacting with the obli uebox member to tighten all of the mem ers, means forautomaticallyregulating the maximum ap womb of the box-members towardthe she t, means for automatically moving the wedge at any variationfrom said regulated approach of the box members toward their shafts,tomaintain a uniform relation between the shaft and box members, andmeans to prevent the movement of the wedge in a direction to-loosen it.

5. In a journal for rotary shafts, a plurality of box members one ofwhich is movable, a holder in which the box members are mounted, a wedgein the holder to tighten all of the members, automatic means to move thewedge, and automatic means for regulating and maintaining the distanceof the box members from thg shaft.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal atIndianapolis, Indiana, this 28th day of Au ust, A. D: one thousand.

nine hundred and e even.

JOHN T. I-IAY. V [Ls]

